First, some definitions:

Loss refers to being deprived of someone or something to which one was attached or previously possessed.

Secondary loss follows as a consequence of the primary loss (e.g., loss of income, hopes, and sometimes even faith).

Bereavement refers to the basic fact or objective reality of loss.

Grief refers to the response and reactions to the loss. It involves the tension created by the conflict between the world that was, what it cannot be, and how it may become, and includes physical, affective, cognitive, and spiritual domains.

Factors that contribute to coping:

Type and timing of loss.

Quality of relationship with the deceased.

Social support.

Pre-existing factors.

Fear and anxiety about death:

The view of death as loss is linked to fear and anxiety about death.

Middle-aged adults show greatest fear of death. Older adults the least fear of death. Young adults' level of fear is somewhere in between.

Concern about death and dying increases across aging. Therefore, although death is highly salient in late adulthood; it is not as frightening as it was in middle-age.